Woman bus driver attacked after crash

The double decker - carrying a single passenger - collided with the car of 28-year-old Anil Dawett on the Bilston Street round about in the centre of Wolverhampton, the city's Crown Court was told.

"The sides of the bus and car came into contact and it is not for this court to decide whose fault it was, " said Mr David Iles, prosecuting.

Both vehicles stopped but before the bus driver could leave her cab Dawett had rushed from his car and pushed the emergency button that opened the doors of the double decker.

He hurled racial abuse at the woman behind the wheel as she phoned her bosses but she verbally retaliated and got out to take photographs of the scene.

The 6ft 2ins tall defendant then grabbed the mobile of the 5ft 2ins bus driver, prompting a period of pushing and shoving that ended with the pair falling to the ground and her shirt ripped.

He landed on top of the woman but was hauled off her by two passers by on November 8 2013(corr). The prosecution were unable to explain to Judge Martin Walsh why the case had taken two years to be resolved.

Mr Iles continued: "But the incident did not end there. The driver got back on the bus but the defendant tried once more to open the emergency door.

"This time she was able to override that by pressing an internal button but he continued to try to get in.

"He forced one of his fists through the rubbed bond between the doors. He then put a hand through the gap in the rubber and grabbed her hair."

Another passer by then intervened and called the police while Dawett drove off although he headed for the nearby central Wolverhampton police station where he blamed the bus driver for the accident.

Dawett from Penn Road, Penn pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault.

He had previous convictions for possession of drugs and having a knife in a public place.

He was given a 26 week jail sentence suspended for 18 months with a three month night time curfew and £1200 costs. Judge Martin Walsh told him: "This was road rage."